Making Memories
by xxeverlastinglovexx
Summary: Edward Cullen was from a different era. A simpler time. Bella knew this. How can she make herself part of these memories? One-shot, absolute fluff.


**Completely innocent fluff that was written years ago and recently discovered on my laptop. No beta, so all bad comma placement is my own. **

**All characters belong to Steph, I'm just putting words in their mouths.**

"Bella?" Edwards voice, and the cool touch of his hand brushing mine, brought me back to reality. With less than three weeks to my wedding, which I had no part in planning, I was left with an enormous amount of time for worrying. And day-dreaming. Sometimes both.

"I don't think that you will ever truly understand how infuriating it is for me not to know what exactly is going on in that beautiful head of yours". He skimmed his nose across the space below my ear, making me shiver involuntarily. I heard a faint chuckle escape his beautiful lips, and he planted one soft, cold kiss on my neck. "Well my love, are you going to tell me what's the matter?'

We were intertwined on the large cream sofa in the Cullen's living area, and I was wrapped in the luxurious golden throw from Edward's bed. As opposed as I had been to it in the beginning, I couldn't deny it's usefulness now. Edward always felt terrible when I began to silently shiver, a reaction from the coolness of his body against mine. And I wasn't going to allow him to use a silly excuse like temperature difference to break our tenuous agreement.

I turned from the mindless comedy we had chosen to watch and stared at the man I would soon marry. My eyes traced their way from the top of his unbuttoned shirt, over his strong jaw and the beautiful smooth lips which were now turned up in a heart stuttering half smile. I stopped at his own eyes, partially obscured by a lock of reddish brown hair. I reached slowly to move it, and sighed as he turned the full force of them on me. They were liquid gold, ever moving, ever changing. I struggled to understand how the mundane title of 'husband' would ever suit him. Surely 'angel' was meant instead?

His golden eyes were expectant, patiently awaiting an answer. 'I think I'm suffering from something no new bride has ever suffered from before' I said softly, unwilling to break his gaze. 'What?' The line that he wore between his eyebrows whenever he was worried suddenly appeared. I reached to smooth it with my fingertips. 'Boredom!' I giggled. Really and truly, I had been given absolutely no responsibility when it came to my upcoming nuptials, leaving me with endless time to sit with my own thoughts, inventing worries for myself.

'I can ask Alice to involve you more when she gets back?' Alice, and indeed the rest of his family, had gone on another hunting trip to ready themselves for all the time they were going to be spending with humans in the next few weeks. I knew this was a ruse; after all, they had all managed fine back at school. Allowing Edward and I to have some alone time in the run up to the big day was undoubtedly what they had wanted.

'No, that's not what I mean. I'm quite happy to be kept at arm's length from all that side of the proceedings. I just feel like doing something...personal. Me and you. Happy memories, you know?' His expression remained puzzled. Of course it did. How could he know what I wanted when even I didn't know? 'Personal?' he questioned. 'I can do personal'. He untangled himself gently and in the next instant was standing in front of me, his hand outstretched. 'Where are we going?' I asked as I took his icy palm in mine and allowed him to pull me up. 'I'm going to show you my memories'.

After the grand statement he had just made, I was more than confused when he led me up the beautiful staircase which took us to the upper story of the house. Even more confused still when he loped gracefully to the end of the hallway and pulled down the attic ladder. He paused, one foot on the bottom rung, and turned to face me. 'The attic?' I spluttered in disbelief. 'Isn't that a bit...?' he raised his eyebrow questioningly. '...vampire-y?' He smiled at the word I had just invented. 'After all the time we have spent together, now you decide to believe the myths? Bella, we have to store our memories somewhere too. Now, are you coming with me or not?' his tone was teasing, and his hand outstretched to me was an open invitation. I smiled and closed the distance between us. He bundled me close to his chest, supporting my weight easily with one arm and holding the rung with the other. 'Edward!' I scolded feebly, 'I am perfectly capable of climbing a ladder by myself!' He rolled his eyes sarcastically, still looking breathtakingly beautiful when pulling faces. 'Bella, sweet, do you really want to be covered in bruises for our wedding day?' he said softly. I folded my arms in a mock strop, and the diamonds on my left hand glinted in the light. He smirked to himself and pulled us up the ladder with unnerving speed.

He sat me down in the dark and pulled down on a chord above his head, only visible to me by the light seeping in from the hallway below. The room was lit instantly by the bulb overhead. I looked around me. The attic was long and narrow, with a low roof. It was full of boxes and trunks, all neatly labelled. It was surprisingly normal for a house full of immortals. 'There are some things that even we cannot bear to throw away' he whispered from behind me, winding his marble arms around my waist and kissing the top of my head. He moved sinuously, until he was walking down the bare floor in front of me. 'Carlisle's' he gestured, 'Emmet's, Jasper's...and mine'. He stopped at a pile of boxes at the end of the attic, running his hand along the top of a huge wooden trunk. I followed him, intrigued. 'What's in there? I asked excitedly. 'Come see' he replied softly, kneeling in front of the vast chest. I folded myself in beside him and watched as his hands blurred, opening the clasps which kept it shut. He flipped the top back, the hinges squeaking slightly in the quiet attic. 'Clothes!?' I exclaimed, ripping a pair of awful stonewashed jeans from the top of the pile. 'Edward, did you wear these?!' 'Bella, I'm over one hundred years of age. Fashions have changed a lot over the time. We all keep some of our clothes from the decades we live through.' At least now I knew what some of the chests in the other groups contained. I giggled to myself, unable to contain my laughter at some of the clothes I pulled out. Nike runners and flared jeans, smart shirts and skinny ties, flat caps and woollen trousers. I shook my head in disbelief. 'Do you think you could...?' I began quietly, as Edward studied my face intently. 'Do you think you could try them on? Please! For me?' 'Of course I can, anything you want. Perhaps chronologically?' he teased. I simply nodded, watching him as he pulled some clothes from the trunk and turned, walking towards the screen in the corner, tugging his shirt off and revealing his broad shoulders. He let it drop to the floor just as he slipped behind it, and I felt the disappointment pool in my stomach. As much as I had enjoyed all the 'practise' for our wedding night that we had indulged in recently, Edward had still not gotten as far as letting me see him unclothed. Knowing that he was standing naked behind that screen was enough to make me moan aloud. And moan I did...

...Until that moan caught in my throat, and I was rendered entirely speechless. Edward stood in front of me in a grey wool suit, the jacket hanging open over a tight fitting waistcoat. His shirt was white, which made his golden eyes all the more piercing, and the dicky-bow he had tied neatly around his neck was deep burgundy, playing up the smooth alabaster of his skin. He wore a grey wool flat cap on his head, and his bronze hair stuck out from underneath it, untamed. As I stood, awestruck, he removed the hat from his head and inclined it gently. 'Miss', he murmured softly, looking back up to meet my gaze. 'Edward, you look...well...you look...fantastic'. 'Thank You, it's vintage' he smirked, his smile widening as I giggled. 'It's really not fair' I pouted, twirling a lock of hair around my finger. 'What isn't?' he said, spinning the hat between his hands so quickly that it blurred. 'How heartbreakingly handsome you are, no matter what you wear' I replied. 'There must be something in here that you look funny in' I said, rifling through the chest as I spoke.

There wasn't. Edward tried on more and more clothes, each outfit more ridiculous than the last, but he was still breathtaking. Shiny brogues and a quiff? Fabulous. Tight suit and a skinny tie? Beautiful. Bell bottom jeans and an orange polyester shirt? Sure, it was harder to carry off, but Edward still looked like some kind of 1970's God. As he slid gracefully to sit on the floor beside me in his stone-washed jeans and Nike high-tops, he still managed to render me speechless with his exquisiteness. 'Thank you love, for letting me show you some of my memories' he breathed, running his lips along my cheek. 'No, thank you'. I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull myself closer to him. 'Now I know you looked magnificent in every decade'. He laughed; the movement shook me up and down, and I gripped him tighter. 'I just wish I had something like that to share with you, you know. So I could be part of your memories.' 'You are already _all_ of my memories Bella' he murmured. 'All of the important ones anyway. And we will have more memories love. Forever is a long time to make them.' I nodded, but still couldn't hold back the frown. Forever. Forever could be a long time away as well.

-MM-

I spent the next few days deep in thought. Edward mistook my quietness for nerves, and spent all his time trying to sooth me. The way he viewed me still confused me, like I was something to be cherished, like I was a prize and he was the extraordinarily lucky winner. As he continued to try and ease the imaginary nervousness about my wedding, I was struck by how lucky I was, and how easy this was for him. He caressed the ring on my finger, and my mind flickered back to the night of our engagement. My Anne of Green Gables moment. How things could have been, had I been born at the right time. I could create that moment. I could create that memory. And I would.

I spent some time planning and plotting, and let the idea that had formed in my head grow legs. I couldn't do it by myself, and involved Edward's mother and sister. Esme was touched by my wish, going above and beyond what I expected her to do, and Alice was just delighted to have an opportunity to treat me like the life size doll she sometimes thought I was. Edward was annoyed by his family member's attempts to keep him out of their thoughts, not that he said anything, but I saw a scowl grace his beautiful face more than once while he was in their company. The days flew by, I was excited to finally have something to do, and at long last I found myself sitting in front of the mirror in the huge bathroom, with a make-up bag overflowing on the sleek white tiled counter and Alice tweaking my hair. 'Hmm' she mused, 'it's just missing something'. 'Alice, compared to Edward, I am missing something' I laughed. 'Beauty'. I shook my head, laughing at her attempts to make me pretty, and felt some strands fall from the pile she had made on the top of my head. 'Perfect!' she squealed. 'You just needed to look a little more undone!' 'Thanks Alice', I smiled at my best friend and soon-to-be sister. She winked in reply, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as lightly as a dancer would, and opened her mouth to say something when her eyes glazed over. I waited patiently, Alice's visions no longer worried me, and I knew she would share it with me if important. 'He's coming!' she yelped, clapping her hands together and laughing, 'and he's going to love it!' She pulled my hand and tugged me from my seat, leading me a little too quickly down the stairs and onto the porch. 'Alice!' I exclaimed at the sight that greeted me. 'Whatever Bella, you know its perfect' she sighed, and I couldn't bring myself to disagree. The wooden porch swing that had been newly bolted to the roof looked like something from a different era, and the little table beside it holding a pitcher of iced tea and two large tumblers made me giggle. She really did have an eye for detail. 'Now', she kissed my cheek in farewell, and held my shoulders, looking into my eyes 'I'm leaving, everyone else will be gone until the morning. You have the whole night together. Stop worrying. He loves you'. And with that, she was gone.

I made my way slowly to the swing and sat on it, enjoying the gentle movement. The house in Phoenix had had one, and I was momentarily transported back to evenings spent with my mother, rocking in contented silence or surrounded by giggle. My thoughts distracted me from what was going on around me, and I almost missed the swing move by an infinitesimal amount, and the softest breeze that swept over my flushed cheeks. _Almost. _ I turned my head, breathing deeply until I saw his face. And when I reached that face, I almost cried. Edward stood in front of me, expression frozen in pure shock. And love. Always love. 'Bella' he choked out, his eyes never leaving my face. I would have to remedy that. I stood up, and he took a step back, trying to see all of me I hoped. I had regretted so much not being a part of Edward's human life, regretted never seeing him in his own era, his own time. This was my attempt to bridge that gap.

Esme had leant me a dress she had kept from years before, and Alice had altered it to fit me a little better. The year was a little bit off, apparently, but I had hoped that this would not bother Edward. The skirt was wide and swung around my legs, stopping above my ankle and showing off the silk stockings I wore with buttoned, low- heeled shoes. The waist cinched in with a wide ribbon, and the neckline was a modest vee shape. Two wide, white lapels sat across my shoulders, and the sheer sleeves ended in a dainty cuff at each wrist. Most importantly, the whole thing was a deep, beautiful blue. I knew how he loved blue. There had been a hat, but I had forgone it, but now wished I hadn't. I would have at least covered my blush as I waited for him to say something. _Anything. _I bit my lip and raised my eyes, earning me a sharp intake of breath from the exquisite being across from me.

'Bella' he repeated. 'You look...beautiful.' His eyes swept my body, stopping for a fraction of a second longer at the triangle of flesh left exposed by the neckline. 'I can't believe...how did you?' He didn't need to finish his questions, his eyes caught sight of the iced tea on the table. 'Alice' we breathed together, and then giggled. I took another deep breath, and then opened my mouth to speak. 'Edward, I love you. I love you so much that it hurts, and I'm beyond happy that we are going to spend forever together'. I stopped for a second, struggling for the right words to say what I needed to, but his cold hand brushed my warm one, and I knew exactly what I had to do. 'But' I continued, 'you once told me of how different things would have been if you had met me while human, and while I wouldn't change us for anything, I wanted to give you that memory. You shared so many memories with me last week, and all I wanted was to make myself part of them. To make _us _part of them. So this is it' I finished. 'This is your opportunity. To court me like you would have, even if only for one night'.

Edward smiled, and raised my right hand to his lips, inclining his head slightly so he could kiss it. I gasped. 'Miss' he murmured softly, 'where are our chaperones?' 'Gone' I stuttered. 'For the whole night. I can call them back if you'd prefer?' 'That's not necessary' he smirked. 'I quite like the idea of having you all to myself'. He dropped my right hand and raised my left one instead, quirking an eyebrow at my empty ring finger. 'You have to court me, Mr. Cullen' I said. It was my turn to smirk now. 'I do believe that I deserve some wooing before I agree to marry a perfect stranger'. 'Wooing? I can try some wooing' he grinned, turning my hand over in his and leaving his lips softly against the inside of my wrist. 'In that case, Alice has your clothes hanging in your room' I whispered. I didn't even feel my feet leave the ground as he scooped me up in his arms and turned towards his bedroom, ready to spend the evening making memories together.

**Reviews are almost enough to make Edward and Bella take a break from their 'memory making'. I, however, will drop whatever I'm doing when I hear that delicious little beep from my phone. **

***hugs***


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